heather in bloom

I've got him covered

2010-08-06T08:14:00.000-07:00

homemade diaper covers

baby boy hoody
pattern found in this lovely book

boy bandanna bibs

from head to toe.

take me out to the ball game

2010-08-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

Grandparents night at the ball diamond!

They cheered, sang the YMCA, munched on some m&m 's, yelled CHARGE!!!,
did the wave, cheered some more....

...they loved every minute!

We're Baaack...

2010-07-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

...not that we were ever really gone :)

We've been enjoying every minute that summer has to offer.
Hope you're enjoying the sunshine in your neck of the woods as well!

jammin

2010-07-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

Jam again. I just love it...

I guess I still love compost too- but just look how colorful it is...

summer lovin: part 1

2010-07-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

We were at the beach four days in a row last week and at the park twice, one ball game, two hikes, three picnics, a puppet show, a movie, and a parade. We're totally loving summer. Internet service is not the best at the shore or park..hence no blogging. But, here's a bit of what we've been up to the past few weeks:

Enjoying our back porch pool.

the zoo.

turtle races.

Our garden goodness begins.

A hint of things to come...

walking on air

2010-06-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Check out my new "old" kicks.

For the past few weeks my heels have been killing me and the doctor says, plantar fisciitis. I guess barefooting is not so helpful for my heels- not to mention my favorite boots are a bit hard heeled. Mr Schut says I have to keep these nice white sneaks clean to wear inside...so I'll still sport my Choco's outside. But I'll wear these babies for all my household activities- and they're keeping my heels nice and comfy.

Mr S

2010-06-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

This is Mr S. He is patient and strong and has a hilarious sense of humor. He makes great mickey mouse pancakes and can mow the lawn like no body's business. He wears a tank top and trucker hat when he mows (hott). Mr S is the most handsome man I have ever met. He has really long biking legs and a chiseled chin. Not to mention really awesome facial hair. In the morning, he lets me sleep in and at night he waits around until all hours of the night for me because I like to stay up late. He gets excited about spending time with his family and puts up with my long hair all over the house. Mr S has rubbed my feet more times than I could ever repay. Mr S is an amazing father. He does braids and piggy tails, and walks with the babe when he is sad. He goes for wagon rides and puts on silly puppet shows on a regular basis. Mr S transfers car seats back and forth and back again. He sings the potty song with enthusiasm and builds elaborate lego structures. Mr S takes the kids out for Ice Cream and lets me work in the garden. He brings the kids to visit the parrot at the dog food store and helps with baths and making lunches for school. Mr S loves his kids. He has been a blessing to his family and we are lucky to have him. We love you Mr S, happy father's day!

scavenging the shore

2010-06-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

We did a bit of hunting last night...

We found lots of sandy stones,

shadows,

and shells.

Seagulls,

sailboats,

and a cute little sleeping baby.

(not on the list, but definately photo worthy)

In case you'd like to try your own scavenger hunt: snap some photos of typical beach items- or even easier use stock photos from on-line, add words, print, and laminate. These are also great sight word cards for five year olds. We've been seen scavenging the hiking trails and winter scavenging as well...it's so much fun. Where do you like to scavenge?

Wearing the Baby

2010-06-17T00:42:00.000-07:00

Having this little man as part of our family has been so much fun. I had forgotten how wonderful it is to snuggle with a newborn. I wish I could just hang out on the couch and snuggle him all day long...and I did the first week of his life. But as he's gotten older, I've become increasingly aware that having two busy girls running around may require the use of my hands at some point. While I love my sling and moby wrap, I'm afraid they won't give me the support I'll need as this big boy keeps on growing (when I found out I was pregnant I had just completed 6 weeks of physical therapy for my lower back). A friend has one of these baby carriers and highly recommends it... but high recommendation brings a high price tag as well.

Then I stumbled upon this tutorial and it was just what I needed.

This sewed up sooo fast, and the instructions were very specific and easy to follow. In fact, the most time consuming part of sewing this project was waiting for the clips to arrive from an on-line store (JoAnns doesn't carry all of the necessities). The brown canvas, grey linen lining, black strapping, and decorative front panel all came from JoAnn's on sale, and buckles came on-line for a very cheap price. It even has a zipper pocket for an adjustable sleeping hood. In the end, the entire cost was about $35, and it took two movie nights to complete.

He's still a bit small to be in this carrier, I have to support his head. But the few times I've carried him in it seem to treat my back well. I'm thinking he likes his new ride too!

Reduce, Reuse, Recover

2010-06-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

We have major space issues right now. The hubs and I both drive wagons and we now have three carseats to accomodate. This being said, we decided to buy one new carseat for my car, and a new van for him. I get the new car seat (because it is smaller and fits in my wagon), and he gets a new car (with the older carseat). I know this deal seems a bit lopsided, but I really like my car so it worked for me. Don't ask me why, but he has wanted to buy a van since he was 18 years old- so he was super excited with the deal.

While our old infant carseat was functional, it was not very comfortable or very clean (2 infants can do that to a carseat). So I decided to buy a car seat recovering tutorial to spiff it up a bit. This tutorial was easy to follow, and really just required me to take apart the old cover and re cover it with new fabric- pretty simple stuff. I'm going to do the big girl's booster seat next...

tent worms

2010-06-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

Tent worms...they were out of control this year. We were literally sweeping them off our house by the hundreds. They ate my rose bushes, raspberry bush, peony leaves, and lilac bush. I know they must be God's creatures, but I can't help but squash one every chance I get. At one point I looked out the window to see the big girl hopscotching from one caterpillar to the next with a malicious smile on her face...ooops- she totally got that from me. Thankfully they've almost all gone away. But just in case any try to stop by for a visit, she made this sign to warn them that they are not welcome. I love, love, love her.

toys for the boy

2010-06-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

When we heard we were pregnant again, I thought we were all set for baby stuff- we had already had 2, no need to buy anything new. Then I realized that many of the infant toys we had stashed in our attic were plastic...pre-bpa, pre-lead scare plastic. We started to decrease some of the plastic in our home about a year ago, but infant toys were simply not an entity at the time. So, I decided to try to begin to stash a supply of cheap infant friendly eco-safe toys for the babe. Here's what I came up with...

Baby Play Gym

This can hold almost all of his toys for

hours of entertainment.

3-1" Dowels from Home Depot: $3

2 wooden nobs from Michaels: $1.49

Total Cost: $4.49

Socktopus

Knit with This Pattern for free
and Ecological Wool: $5.00
Cat toy in center for a little rattling: $.99
Total cost: $5.99

Gear Teething Ring

Bought at EcoAyris
To initiate the little man
to the world of bikes
Total cost: $13.00

Little Moustachio Rattle Man

Inspired by this little guy.
Rings bought set of 3 for $13: $4
Fabric scraps and felt for man: $1
Stuffed with natural cotton batting: $1
Total Cost: $6

Natural Baby Keys

Bought here: Mama Made Them
Love these!

Total Cost: $10

Nursing Necklace

similar to These
1 of 3 organic rings mentioned above: $4
on 18" of hemp: $.50

Total Cost: $4.50

Just a few things to start with, but he's loving them right now, and I'm loving that I don't have any worries if he chooses to explore any of them with his mouth.

Boycotting a Chocolate Bunny

2010-05-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

For Easter treats this year, my girls got rainboots filled with play silks and silly putty eggs. This limited the amount of candy they ate, and gave them treats that would last a bit longer. To make their play silks we bought 30" silks from the Dharma Trading Company. The girls picked out some colors of kool-aid from the grocery store and during nap one day I dyed them using the microwave. There are a lot of tutorials for dying with kool-aid, I took them all in and then just decided on my own process. Here's what I did in case you'd like to try as well:

Dying PlaySilks in the Micro

Allow the playsilks to soak in hot water for about 20 minutes to saturate them.

In a glass bowl mix 2 cups of water with 1/2 cup of vinegar and 3 packets of koolaid.

Once combined, add the playsilks and cover the bowl with pastic wrap.

Microwave for 3 minutes and allow it to cool for 3 minutes.

Repeat until the silks are colored to desired brightness (or until the water in the bowl is clear).

That's it! It literally took about 45 mintues to do all of our silks.

They dried in the sun and Easter morning they pulled them out...

These little scarves have been used for dancing, baby doll blankets, shawls or head coverings, and probably will be capes someday. The girls love these- when the lady at the grocery store asked the little girl if she had lots of candy for Easter she said, "No, I got boots and scarves!"

Definitely better than a chocolate bunny, don't you agree?

Baby O

2010-05-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

Meet Baby O.

He became part of our family on March 12th 2010, and we couldn't be happier or more blessed.

I guess you could call this blogging break a prego related maternity leave. But I'm back and excited to share what's going on in our busy 5 person family, and especially excited to share all the little boy creativity that I am now able to be part of...

Garden Goodness

2009-09-13T13:35:00.000-07:00

mmmm.

Our garden has been good to us this year. Doubling it's size has really paid off. This weeks stash of tomato was enough to can salsa and pasta sauce. Wonderful smells were wafting from the kitchen and creeping upstairs. Here's what we've been enjoying.

lots of yummy tomato

Peppers galore

End of the season beans

One long cucumber phone

And we're still awaiting our carrots.

We were able to can using only ingredients from our garden- except for a bit of vinegar. With a few more weeks and plants loaded with green. I foresee more canning in our future.
Stay tuned...

xavier's sweater

2009-09-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

Xavier is due next month. His parents had a baby shower this past weekend and their one stipulation was that his clothes show that he's a boy. Knitting a manly sweater is not an easy thing to do. Not many patterns exhist. I ended up improvising and creating my own pattern.

Something about this color combination is so much fun.

I love the wide shoulder seams.

Personalizing it was the most fun.

I'm not sure I've ever used graph paper before in knitting.

This project was a lot of fun!

Maybe someday I'll publish the pattern...

days of summer: outdoor art

2009-08-31T20:01:00.000-07:00

tools for creativity.

attention to detail.

abstract art.

masterpiece.

days of summer: rockin the side pony

2009-08-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

I had to work last week.

Dad stayed home and bonded with the girls :)

days of summer: nature hike

2009-08-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

We recently went camping with some good friends.

Day 2 of our trip consisted of a lovely little hike in the woods.

It rained the night before- everything was beautiful.

Tree on the trail.
(Little A thought this was the coolest)

Little I explored everything.

Streams.

The Manistee.

All that exploration paid off- we found loads of wild blackberry bushes.
The perfect sustenance for our trip back to camp.

A successful hike.
(Little A and Little O- hiking buddies for life?)

days of summer: blueberries

2009-08-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

Highlights.

Rows and rows of beautiful blueberry bushes.

Little A learns to pick only the blue ones.

My lovely family

Carrying home our loot: 2 lbs!

Deciding if I should make a pie or freeze them for later...both I think.

days of summer: going to the fair

2009-08-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

Highlights of our day:

Petting the horses.

Little A's lengthy conversation with a sheep.

Really BIG pigs.

Pretty little hens.

Then we finished out the day with pony rides.
(These little ponies were offered water twice while we rode- which made me feel better about the ride)

Going to the fair sent me into one of my most common day dreams- which basically includes: homemade goat cheese, daily farm fresh eggs and self-spun alpaca yarn.
Our home is not likely to sell in a market like this, but maybe if I keep dreaming.
Someday....

days of summer: grandma's raspberries

2009-08-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

We visited grandma's garden this past week. Lucky for us the raspberries were ready. We picked for 10 minutes and the bushes were still bursting with berries. When we were tired of picking, we ate them over homemade raspberry pie and ice cream. It was delicious!

Little A picked....and ate.

Dad and Ian climbed right in.

This is our stash after 5 minutes of picking.
We ate and enjoyed and then it was time to leave.

But not before the girls picked one special flower...
grandma's tradition.
It was a great night in the garden!

days of summer: Date Night

2009-08-01T17:58:00.000-07:00

Ry and I try to go on a date at least once every two weeks. This week our town held movies each night in an open field down by the water. It was a very cool thing. We went early to set our chairs out and then walked for awhile.

We brought our own concessions: slurpees

See that big screen? We were waaaayyy in the back- but we could still see really well.

There's something about watching a movie on a big screen while cuddled under the stars that's extremely relaxing and romantic :)

days of summer: The Park

2009-07-31T09:06:00.000-07:00

We started at the park early this morning.

This is one of our favorite parks.

There's so much to explore.

Summer is halfway through. July is almost done. I start back to work in three days. These are all thoughts that have filled me with a bit of dread, and a lot of urgency. With that in mind, the girls and I decided that we had better make the most of our last weeks of summer.

Stay tuned for our August adventures...

days of summer: the purple purse

2009-07-30T15:52:00.000-07:00

Purse #2 is complete.

The 2 year old picked a purple and red scheme. We just happened to have the cutest little button to match her choice of fabric, zipper and straps.

Little A's one request was that she wanted a BIG purse. She was very particular about the BIG pocket in front as well. The little red straps on this bag make it easy for her to carry, even though it's almost as big as she is :)

Now, to stand back and watch her fill it...

days of summer: the smiley bag

2009-07-29T18:16:00.001-07:00

The girls and I stopped at the craft store on our way to the library today.

We intended to buy zippers and fabric to make reusable snack baggies, but the inevitable happened- we strayed from the plan. First the big girl found some fabric that she liked and asked if I could make her a purse, and then little A asked if she could have one too. On the way to find fabric for little A, I came across a beautiful lemony print for a set of summer skirts for the girls... and that's how it started. We ended up with fabric for two skirts, 8 snack bags, two purses and a dress. hmmm.

So, this afternoon the big girl got to stay up from rest time to sew with momma. She designed her purse- literally picked everything out, laid it down and helped pin. She lovingly refers to it as the smiley purse. Quite a bit of detail was put into picking the buttons, and strap for this little purse- at least 20 minutes on buttons and 10 for the ribbon. Once it was complete, she took to filling it with necessities: pretend phone, uno cards, seashells, and one very large bobble head doll. No space was wasted. Makes me wonder what her 2 year old sister will fill her purse with :)

days of summer: for the love of compost

2009-07-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

If you were to ask me as a teenager what I would be excited about in my twenties-

I never in a million years would have said: compost.

But here I am blogging about it. who new. time certainly has changed my priorities and passions (not that compost is really a passion.)

This was my first batch of compost, used in mid June. I was really pleased with the consistency and my veggies were pretty excited about it too.

So you may be wondering where this love of compost originated? Last summer I started to pay attention to our garbage, (yet again something I never thought I would be focused on.) But I came up with a theory. The left overs of what we eat end up in the garbage; and if they are things that cannot be composted or recycled- should we really be bringing them into our home?

So my amazingly talented husband created a rotating bin using metal piping and a sump pump container and lid. Not sure if there are tutorials for this type of thing, but a comparable store bought version is about $300 and he made mine for about $50. Amazing man right? Maybe I'll talk him into writing some instructions for his version. It worked well, as the picture above illustrates.

I cannot believe I have written this much about compost. I guess it's true. I love compost. And I probably shouldn't be admitting this. Add it to my odd list of hobbies: knitting, canning, sewing, embroidery, baking- and I start to sound a bit dorky. If not 25 years older :)

days of summer: back to the beach

2009-07-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

Our wish came true.

We swam, we ran, we played in the sand.

We read, we relaxed.

And we even snuck in a little peanut butter sandwich picnic :)

days of summer: beachgoers

2009-07-26T20:26:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite beach bums relaxing in the sun.

This picture is meant to be a good omen.

It's actually from a few weeks ago.

We've had almost non-stop rain since we returned from vacation.

With any luck, the rain will end tomorrow

and we'll be back at the beach!

days of summer: appreciating GREEN

2009-07-25T18:47:00.001-07:00

GREEN grass in which to run and play

First GREEN tomato

Silly GREEN grasshead made by silly four year old

GREEN grasshopper exploring the shed

GREEN tongue following lime popsicle

fourth cuttings of our yummy GREEN lettuce

Our very GREEN grass with lovely clouds overhead

Great GREEN reads for summer

Growing GREEN broccoli's in big GREEN buckets

remember these?

days of summer: sometime soon

2009-07-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

Soon to be Something for me :

rhine maiden

Soon to be something for a baby boy:

blue jean friday

Soon to be something for a very good friend:

fig

Soon to be something for the girls:

japanese crafting book

days of summer: keeping cool in the city

2009-07-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

While in the city, there are many things to do.

On a hot and humid day, when a lake is nowhere in sight, a favorite destination for kids is a park with a refreshing water feature. While in New York, we visited just such a park. It took the big girl quite a while to decide weather or not she would participate. She ended up getting her feet wet, but not much else.

We walked about 3 miles round trip to visit this park, and the walk back was torturous in the heat. Even with the unbearable heat, this was a fun experience. Above all, it has given us a new appreciation of the bays, lakes and rivers that surround us at home.

days of summer: Central Park Zoo

2009-07-22T17:59:00.000-07:00

While in New York, we set aside a day to explore central park. Who new Central Park was so HUGE. It was amazing. The girls' favorite part of the park was the zoo...

There were polar bears scratching on the rocks,

and polar bears eating fish.

There were birds on branches in the bird tent.

And birds grazing our head as they flew by.
(Little I called these: the blue birds with the cool hair.)

There was a picnic,

and lots and lots of green.

At the end of the day little A fell asleep in the stroller with one of our cutie hostesses.

(Yes, this is the coolest stroller in the world.)

We love NY!

And we really, really love Central Park!

days of summer: New York

2009-07-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

:Views from the top of the Empire State Building:

days of summer: NYC

2009-07-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

Still on Vacation

NYC!!

Pictures and memories to come when we reach a reliable computer :)

days of summer: fishing for real

2009-07-18T06:37:00.000-07:00

::four year old fishing::

She caught 2!
(that's one more than dad caught. hehe)

days of summer: the art fair

2009-07-17T07:15:00.000-07:00

Summertime brings loads of special events to our community.

One of my personal favorites is the art fair.

This year we spent the day with grandma exploring together.

Here are some of the wonders of this years art fair.

Beautiful new bracelets.

Balloon animals.

And face, er hand painting.
This art fair was smaller then usual, which made it less crowded. It was fun to wander through the booths and see the handmades that each artist created.
In the end I decided on this lovely all natural handmade soap!

When we were too tired to walk anymore, we headed home. Both girls fell asleep in the car with balloon animals flapping in the wind, and paint smeared arms. It was a wonderful day.

days of summer: picnics

2009-07-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

We love to be outside during summertime which means that
80% of our mealtimes involve picnicking in some form.

We decided to splurge and eat out the other night. When we asked the girls where they would like to eat dinner, little A said: the park and little I said: no the beach. Needless to say these are two of our favorite picnic locations :)

days of summer: Birthday in Jersey

2009-07-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

Ry is 29 years old today!

For his birthday gift we traveled to New Jersey for a week long vacation with one of his very best friends. We marked his special day with lots of travel and a special cupcake celebration at the airport kiosk. Due to security we weren't able to light any candles, but I think his wish may have come true anyway :)

days of summer: NYC 2009

2009-07-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

We're off to New York for a few days to reconnect with some friends!
Packing and preparing has been busy busy.
The four of us are traveling by plane tomorrow morning, and then navigating the bus system to get down town. Wish us luck!

days of summer: cutie booties

2009-07-13T20:03:00.000-07:00

Although i haven't been sharing, the crafting has continued. Both knitting and sewing. I've made two pair of these cute baby boots so far and love the look...although the pattern sizing runs a bit small. Choosing a crazy fun lining is the best part!

Super cute boy booties call for 'masculine' paisley innards. Ry confirmed that this paisley was appropriate for a baby boy to wear in public.

Although these cutie booties were intended for my cutie nephew, they're a bit small.

Now I've got to choose between four prego friends. Or maybe I should just make a few more pair :)

Stay tuned for more crafty fun...

days of summer: A Summers Eve

2009-07-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

days of summer: there's a frog in our garden

2009-07-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

This summer we've been helping at our local children's garden. We planted yummies like chives and beans..and beauties like these little flowers. The girls love getting their hands dirty, and the garden is a wonderful place to take a picnic on a hot day.

Our favorite part of the garden is this frog prince!

The big girl always stops in to visit and give him a kiss.

Lately, she has been asking to read the story of the frog prince from one of our favorite fairy tale books. Although these are real fairy tales and sometimes have to be censored, this book has wonderful illustrations.

This is my favorite.

And then, just yesterday we were able to take part in a puppet show of the frog princess. Little I thought it was hilarious that the girl was a frog instead of a boy. And now she is more obsessed with frogs than ever. It's total frog play at our house. This morning I noticed her trying to get our dog to kiss her to transform her back to princess form. It was hilarious! (And kind of gross too.) I love the depths of her four year old imagination.

days of summer: festivities

2009-07-10T19:34:00.000-07:00

This past week our quaint little vacation town has been filled with happy holidayers eager for festivities. Typically, we tend to spend lots of time away from town due to the busyness. But this year, with the girls at an age of excitement, we decided to join in the fun. We spent one day downtown and wanted to make it a great experience for everyone, so we did everything.

There were lots of carnival rides.

We rode the carousel.

(Is it just me, or does little A's horse look a bit distressed?)

It was kids day and there were countless events including: a puppet show, mini tennis matches, a duck race, cookie stacking contest, treasure hunt, and lots of fishing for prizes.

The big girl tried for a hole-in-one.

We enjoyed a mid morning train ride along the shore.

Then we headed home for nap time and ventured back out to the parade!

At one point during the parade, Ronald McDonald came out to greet the kids. The big girl (who has eaten at McDonald's in the past) hid behind Dad, and the little girl (who has never eaten at McDonald's) practically lept out of my arms to give him a hug. We thought that was accurate feedback of the McDonald's dining experience :)

In the end, we went home with lots of memories and new experiences.

we got to support a festival that keeps our town going,

and the girls loved every minute of it.

days of summer: jam

2009-07-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

It's strawberry season again- Hurray! While we don't have any strawberries in our garden this year, we supported a local grower and made jam anyway. It was delicious!

The big girl helped wash and crush the berries.

And the little girl added the sugar.

My wonderful grandma gifted us with a plentiful supply of jars.

The girls loved helping to wash out the jars and dry them. Hopefully this task doesn't lose its appeal, this is only 1/4 of our supply!

Jam. Jam. Jam.

Yum!

days of summer: beach days

2009-07-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

::my favorite beach day photo::

days of summer: kids fishing day

2009-07-07T07:23:00.000-07:00

This special day is held at the maritime academy and put on by our local rotary and the DNR. Loads of perch, salmon and bass are dropped into a sectioned off part of our lake and the kids are provided fishing poles, bait and bobbers.

I kept suggesting to the big girl that it would be really great to catch a salmon.
We didn't catch any fish, but we had a lot of fun trying!

We made fish prints using rubber fish,

and enjoyed a lunch of hot dogs and chips.

Kids were provided with free sun glasses to protect their eyes from the glare.

I thought these two fisher women were the coolest on the dock.

days of summer: popsicles, planes, and the potty

2009-07-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

While the big girl was away with grandma for the weekend,

Little A thrived as the center of attention. Here are a few pictures of our weekend events.

Popsicles

enjoying every last bit.

Planes

at the Fourth of July airshow

and the Potty.
little A used the big girl potty three times this weekend!

(Some things are just too private to be photographed, you understand.)

We had a wonderful weekend with the little one.

In the end though, Little A and her big sis have hugged at least 50 times since they were reunited on Sunday. I think they both realize how lucky they are to have each other.

days of summer: The Iris Farm

2009-07-05T07:19:00.000-07:00

ok. So I know that Iris are not in bloom during the month of July. We actually visited this farm in mid June. It was amazing!

With rows and rows of beautiful Iris, it took about two hours to choose. We each chose one special Iris to add to our garden, we also cut a few flowers to gift to some special people.

There's something very storybook about strolling in a field of Iris.

At the end of the day, the beautiful colors of those flowers stuck with me.

It seems that Iris have inspired paintings, songs and...yes even yarn.

iris: by yarnadoodle

organic iris: by gawjus

handpainted iris: by Seejaneknit

bearded iris:by madelinetosh

Unlike the iris plants we bought from the Iris farm, these beauties can be knit-up and enjoyed all year long!

(Justification used to convince husband of the importance of more yarn.)

days of summer: Independence Day

2009-07-04T18:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is absolutely my husband dressed as Captain America. And yes, that is absolutely my brother-in-law as The Lone Ranger. What better day to reveal my husband's real identity to the world...a true display of patriotism. I know it's a bit fuzzy, but you get the idea.

Hope your day was filled with patriotic flag waving and the excitement of parades and fireworks.

Happy fourth everyone!

days of summer: daddy's favorite fieldtrip

2009-07-03T17:12:00.001-07:00

::spending time at the park::

days of summer: backpacking

2009-07-02T14:49:00.001-07:00

Our last family backpacking trip:

The Smoky Mountain Trail in 2004.

Just Ry and I the first year of our marriage.
Something we used to enjoy often, but have put on hold until the girls got a bit older. So a few weeks ago, we assessed our situation and decided that with Little A now 2 years old, and the big girl more active than ever, we would give it a try. We started with one night and a very short hike, just in case.
It was beautiful.

My manly husband carried our tent, sleeping bags, clothes, food and everything else we needed for a one night expedition... and I carried the 2 year old.

This is the big girl 'hiking' with dad 3 years ago..

and this is the big girl hiking with dad today.

She was quite the hiker...4 miles in 2 days!

Not sure if little A is exploring tiny woodland creatures, or collecting rocks in this picture. She explored and took in everything! Half way down the trail, she thought she saw a cow in the forest. By the end of our trip, she had racked up at least 10 possible cows sightings.

At the end of the day, we all snuggled up close in our three person tent and listening to the forest as we fell asleep.

I wouldn't be suprised if there are many more

backpacking adventures in our future...

first weeks of summer

2009-06-28T06:28:00.001-07:00

10 important things about summer:

1) We are all HOME as a family!

2) Lake Michigan... need I say more.

3) Sun dresses and sunhats prevail!

4) *camp, hike, beach, park* repeat

5) Picnics on a daily basis

6) The garden is all planted and blooms are appearing.

7) Exploring our community: children's garden, farm, playground, sandbox, shady tree, etc.

8) Not being inside for more than 3 hours at a time.. and then because of rain.

9) Trying new things: Fishing with little I, backpacking with a 2 year old, experimenting with the grill.

10) Less time indoors means less time blogging...so sorry everyone.

All of these combine to make summer a joy for our family...except for maybe that last one. Which is why I have committed (yes committed) to blog once a day for the month of July. I'm serious. We do so much in the summer that a mass blog is just not going to cut it. So stop by more often and stay tuned for what we're up to this month!

down on the farm

2009-05-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

Down on the farm we meet lots and lots of sheep,

(triplets!)

we feed the chickens,

take the truck to the pond,

go fishing for minnow and tadpole,

run into mosquitoes at the cabin,

pick dandelions in the sunshine,

hang our feet off the edge of the John Deere,

and enjoy the open fields.

Down on the farm,

we never want to leave.

hello friends.

2009-05-19T17:58:00.000-07:00

highlights of our busy and blessed month:

We have a 2 year old at our home.

Our vegetable garden is now double it's previous size.

Little A refuses to take her red hat off for 2 whole days.

Broccoli grows on.

The sandbox is open for business.

this lil green shed now sits in our yard.

we own... a mini shopping cart.

the knitting continues.

Be seeing you soon...I promise.

Unmentionables

2009-04-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, in a fit of silliness (due to boredom from doing laundry & being closed inside from spring snow storms), we began to exhibit very strange behavior...like wearing underwear on our heads (clean underwear).

what is it with putting things on our heads? I mean have we no self-respect :)
ah well... it was fun at the time!

Four

2009-03-24T17:09:00.000-07:00

We partied today.

Highlights Included:

Birthday Breakfast of choice: toast with homemade jam and strawberries

Ladies Luncheon with some very special ladies.

Opening the new Little Red Riding Hood book and cape.

The new big girl bike.

(My camera batteries are dead- I promise to post pictures of the four year old riding her new bike, but for now- pictures of dad building it.)

Happy Birthday love...

...may all your wishes come true!

sprouting

2009-03-16T16:11:00.000-07:00

Spring is springing. It was relatively warmish today and signs of spring were everywhere. Something about warm after months of cold makes me want to jump around and rejoice. Here are some signs that spring is on the way...

sprouting caulis and broccolis.

white shoes.

Sewing sleevless dresses.

Our first 'picnic' on the patio together.

bike rides.

avocado

2009-03-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

This little gnome mug is now home to an avocado seed. We are hoping that it will sprout in the next few days, to eventually be a permanent plant in our home. We used an avocado seed left over from a great salsa recipe. We put toothpicks in the sides and submerged the bottom in water. I found this idea along with many other amazing ideas in the book: Making Things. This is such a fun book of creativity.

If all goes well, our avocado should grow something like this...

wish us luck!

Block Party

2009-03-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

I was able to block some beautiful knits this past week.

A vacant crib mattress makes the best little blocking surface.

I'm so excited about the two little cap dresses which were knit by grandma.

Perfect for spring!

And the red riding hood cape in the back is for our almost four year old.

She is continually in search of the BIG BAD wolf.

Here's some beautiful little fabric obtained from fabricworm.

I plan on creating some little pockets on the underside of the cape to hold Red's treasures.

I'm thinking of trying to make a little wolf for red's pocket,

maybe using this little pattern.

Now to find a cute version of red riding hood to go with the outfit...

Thank You for Recycling

2009-03-05T13:36:00.000-08:00

beautiful things... soon to be available on etsy.

Ugh to Snug

night-night dress

sz 2t

Recreated from vintage nightgown
(oh how I wish this fit my little A)

No Way to Let's Play
the hanky top
18-24mo

recreated from vintage hanky

ugly shirt to pretty little skirt
Clowning Around
grls sz 7-8

ugly shirt to pretty little skirt
Pretty in Pink
sz 2-4

ugly shirt to pretty little skirt
Purplicious
sz 2-4

I am still in the process of finalizing my shop policy, etc. But soon I will be adding these, along with some soakers and a few other little numbers.

Be sure to check my shop out at the end of the week!
thankyouforrecycling.etsy.com

Whole Wheat Buns (and other yummies)

2009-03-03T18:27:00.000-08:00

Here's what I've been creating these last few weeks:

Another Grande Cloche

for a lovely friend Angela

Whole Wheat Buns

Made using Wool Diaper Cover Pattern

Banana Slug Cowl

Repurposed from a cap sleeve of an unfinished sweater

Cloth Napkins

In an effort to use less paper products

First from scratch chocolate cake

Made using recipe from Williams Sonoma Book.

Trip downstate to meet

Beautiful Hosanna Rose

CC skiing with my Man on Valentines Day

Oh YEah.
(It WAS valentines day afterall)

Ordering Seeds for the garden
happy march! spring is on the way...

Me again.

2009-02-12T17:48:00.000-08:00

Hello all. Sorry for the long absence. I think working on my degree on-line makes other computer type endeavors less appealing. No excuses though. I'll try to update more often. Here's what we've been up to the last few weeks:

Winter Walks

(Bundled in the Burley)

Lots of Knitting

(lots and lots)

(driving miss daisy toasters)

(The boy hat)

(side slip cloche)

(Wool diaper covers)

(sideways grand cloche)

Winter Camping
(in our living room)

(roasting marshmallows)

Super Lots of Sewing
(I'm working with a friend to start an etsy shop. Some of these little skirts will be featured there.)

Broccoli Nose
(ok ,so not really what we've been up to. But hilarious! she had this on her nose for an entire meal)

Weekend with my Man
(A 10 year together surprise weekend!)

Shirt to Skirt

2009-01-21T21:17:00.000-08:00

Whenever I see a cute print in a second hand store, I am compelled to take it home and create something new from it. This little paisley skirt is actually the bottom shirt tails from a 1.75 ladies shirt from goodwill. I used the sleeves for a pair of pants that will make an appearance soon too.

In case you love re-creating as much as I do and feel compelled to try one of these little skirts, let me give a few hints to keep in mind when making a shirt to skirt:

1. Firstly, if you are really not a sewer, you can cheat like I did and make a flirty skirt that is not hemmed on the sides and only involves rolling the top and adding elastic.

2. Secondly, if you're really lazy (or just want to save even more time), use an old elastic headband for the waste band like I did, hem top and voila- 10 minutes later- skirt.

3. Thirdly, make a ton- because they are super easy and really ReAlly fun to run around in... or so I've heard.

Happy sewing!

A is for Auntie

2009-01-21T20:40:00.000-08:00

Meet my newest nephew!

I'm happy to announce that he is doing well after an RSV scare this past week. With FIVE nephews in total- I consider myself a lucky aunt. They are all so amazing...

Here's the second youngest and the newly appointed big brother wearing his manly dress-ups that i made him for Christmas. His nickname is J-Man so he feels very comfortable in this type of attire.

And here are my brother and sister in laws 3 boys at our latest family gathering:

Aren't they handsome :)

These two gentlemen have brithdays within days of each other and light sabers were the gift of choice from grandma.

At one point Little I actually said, "Hey guys... if you want to stop that, we could play with my dolly." Needless to say, she got confused looks from both the star wars heroes.

And towards the end of the night she became a member of the animal rescue league and the boys were slaying stuffed animals with their light sabers... ahh, the joys of cousinly play...so much fun!

tea for two (or three)

2009-01-14T20:49:00.000-08:00

This past week has been busy busy. With me starting back to graduate school and everyone getting back into the swing of the routine following Christmas break, I've hardly had time for posting. We were able to find some time for an extra special tea party though...on one of the nights Dad was out of the house. Here are the highlights of our little gathering:

The Big Girl serves up the first cup.

The littlest lady takes her tea with sugar (cookies).

Hey... who ordered pizza!?

The two handed hold, so dainty and refined.

The table at the end of the night says it all.

This tea party was a big success... simply lovely.

Adventures in sewing...Day 2

2009-01-08T18:30:00.001-08:00

Here's my second project with the dress form:

This dress was formerly this second hand skirt:

Really all I had to do was cut off the ruffles, take the top layer and flip it up to be the bodice (add some elastic), the inner layer became the bottom and the waist band remains the waist...voila!

( ok I know it sounds complicated, but it really wasn't.)

I've tried to make two smaller tops from the remaining ruffle for my two little ladies.

Are mother daughter matching outfits dumb or cute? I can't decide.
There are many more projects in the works... all re-creates of course :)

Adventures in Sewing...Day 1

2009-01-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

Please allow me to introduce you to Franny.

Franny was my favorite Christmas gift.

I've never liked to sew using patterns...which makes for some creative sewing for the little ones, but doesn't make sewing for myself very easy (especially since my figure has become so interestingly shaped following the births of the girls.) Thankfully Franny and I have the same inseam... and waist and bust size and everything else!

This was the first project we worked on together . This fabric was in the clearance bin at JO's for half off. I got 4 yards of it and made a skirt for my sister using the same fabric. Isn't the print beautiful?

Homemade Holidays: Knit & Wrap

2008-12-30T21:10:00.000-08:00

Best of all this Christmas was watching the girls enjoy the items that we put such thought into. Ry and I also have great memories of creating them together.

Felted Princess Hats

Made with this pattern and left overs of yarn.

Tutus

Formerly spoken about here.

(Ry couldn't let the kids have all the fun.)

Little Snugs

These little snugs made a previous appearance,

but I had to show them again cause they look so darn cute on those little feet.

Recyclable Wrapping Paper

We wrapped gifts in fabric this year and
gifts from the girls were wrapped in hand printed butcher paper. Who knows, this years wrapping paper could be next years Christmas dresses :)

Homemade Holidays: These Ain't no Sock Puppets

2008-12-28T17:23:00.000-08:00

We tried to make most of our Christmas gifts this year. We were able to reuse a lot of the materials, which was not only cheap, but also allowed us to use things that would otherwise have been thrown away. Here are some of the gifts we made for the girls...

Homemade Puppet Theater

Ry built this little beauty and we painted it together. It has a blackboard for notes and a few different signs that hang from the top that allow it to be a lemonade stand, farmers market, etc. We re-used the paint, chalkboard, trim, a lot of the wood, and the curtain was formerly a bed sheet.

You should have seen the girls' faces!

Homemade Puppets
(do these guys look familiar?)

Left to right: Little A, Big Sister I, Ry and Myself.
The forms for these were 6 for $1 at goodwill. These were the most fun to make!

Stay tuned for more homemade holiday gifts...

Happy Christmas to All

2008-12-25T18:54:00.000-08:00

We have a tradition each Christmas...in order to remember that Christmas is Christ's birthday, we wrap the baby Jesus to our nativity scene and hide it amongst the gifts we give each other. When the baby is unwrapped, we read the Christmas story. Then we talk about Jesus and why we celebrate his birthday.

This year, little I was lucky enough to open the package that contained baby Jesus. You should have seen the excitement... "I won baby Jesus!" she announced. Everyone stopped playing with the new puppet theater for 15 whole minutes while we sat together as a family to read the Christmas story (seriously- even the 1 year old). It was a very special time.

This is I (very carefully) holding the baby Jesus upon unwrapping it.

Here's hoping that your home was filled with excitement today, as we celebrate the birth of Christ!

Eulogy for Potty

2008-12-20T09:40:00.001-08:00

On December 18th at sometime in the morning or afternoon,

Potty the fish took his last breath.

Potty was a dedicated friend and fish.

He was named in honor of little I,

who adopted him after learning to use the big girl potty.

Potty lived with us peacefully for 11 months.

He is survived by his family of four, and his comrade, Mo the dog.

Cause of death is unknown,

but suspicions lead us to believe

that a new seaweed plant placed in Potty's bowl

may have lead to his decease.

When interviewed about his death, family has said,

"I think he may have died of a weed overdose."

and

"I loved potty so much... Can we go get a new one."

Potty the fish will be missed by all.

Memorial services were held toilet side at 7:45pm on December 18th.

Potty's bowl will remain as a testament to his life.

Stockings, Snugs and Silliness

2008-12-17T18:58:00.000-08:00

As Promised....

Our embroidered stockings:

(hung and ready to be filled)

The Little Sister Snugs:

(with once again weird bottoms)

A Little Silliness:

(tights on our heads)

(tights coming off...)

skirt to....apron.

2008-12-15T09:46:00.000-08:00

Last night I made this:

This was inspired by this little apron. I bought the ruffle pre-made for 1.50 a yard, so it only took 20 minutes and cost about $4 to make.

I created it while watching the first part of this:

Then I made this: (because I had half a movie to finish. And because I'd already made one mini apron, and who doesn't need more than one of those?)

I created this as well:

Did you notice that little red tag peeking out the side? I confess, this is yet another skirt to dress. The skirt was obtained from Goodwill for 1.75. And the apron is made from the same dress. So, I guess it could be called a skirt to apron. Can you believe an apron and a child's dress for 1.75? Love it.

Tu Tu Much Fun.

2008-12-09T20:52:00.000-08:00

Of course when we decided to MAKE all of our Christmas gifts, I thought instantly of the penny's we could save. And with the 3 year old begging for dance lessons on an almost daily basis, this tutu tutorial was just what I needed. These tutus took about 15 minutes to make and cost about 75 cents ea- For the entire tutu!! These little dittis will be under the Christmas tree in a few weeks and then will be worn by the two twirling little ballerinas. I'll post pictures of the first living room dance recital!

Sneek Peak of Monogrammed Stockings

2008-12-08T21:22:00.000-08:00

Tonight I worked on this:

While watching this:

The characters in this movie were so soothingly dependable. I felt absolutely comfortable stitching alongside Ms Deborah and Ms Matty... Of course I did set my work aside momentarily for the end of the film. I'm a sucker for Elizabeth Gaskell and Jane Austen. They are the best for knitting, sewing, and really creating of any kind.

More pictures of our christmas stockings to come~

snugs for someone special

2008-12-07T18:43:00.000-08:00

I changed my mind.

Here are the snugs felted and finished!

The bottoms are a bit awkward,

but I'm adding some skid-proofness anyway.

Stay tuned for snugs for the other little love.

Knitters, Keepers

2008-12-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

These snugly socks are actually supposed to be felted into snug boots for my little 3 year old girl.

they are just sooo snugly,

that I'm not sure they'll ever make it to the wash...

More Pop-Ups please

2008-11-26T14:47:00.000-08:00

oh my. Have you seen this pop-up book? It is absolutely amazing! I think the girls and I are going to start collecting. Unfortunately, none of the pictures on-line did the inside justice. You'll just have to go find it at your local book store to preview the actual pop-ups.

Here are a few more books that we hope to add to our collection:

Wizard of Oz pop-up book.

Cinderella Pop-up

America the Beautiful Pop up

and why not: GraceLand Pop-up

There are also pop ups for star wars, peter pan, wizard of oz, and just about any story you can think of. There's even a very pricey neiman marcus pop up book. And, for those of us who can't afford the $100 neiman marcus pop up book, there are very affordable alternatives. Including making our own pop-ups. Here's a link to a blogger who makes her own pop up cards.

This is my favorite...

Wouldn't this make a great pop-up birthday card or invite for a special soon to be 4 year old girl? If only I could get her to sit still long enough for a good sillouette picture...

Seriously simple ZiPpEr Smock

2008-11-23T20:48:00.000-08:00

It uses one zipper as straps and a back closure!

Here's the tutorial:

1 Start with a zipper and about 3/4 yards of fabric.

2 Fold the fabric in half with wrong sides facing.

3. Fold fabric so that the two sides meet in the middle of the back.

4. Pin zipper under edges where they meet (or over edges depending on the look you'd like).

5. Fold over all edges and Pin.

6. Sew all seams. Sew zipper ends onto the two sides on the front of the smock.

7. Add buttons if you like.

8. Enjoy.... This top is serious fun.

This means WAR.

2008-11-23T13:38:00.000-08:00

Incoming!

Great Block kick!

Dad takes a hard hit.

He retaliates (forgetting that he's bigger than her)

Mo gets trapped in Cross Fire.

Oh NO! I've been spotted...

PleAsE... NO....I'm only the camera woman...

HeLp!!!!

Negotiations begin

Peace Treaty.

Rainy Days

2008-11-14T14:29:00.000-08:00

It rained today.

A cuddled up with a good book and made the most of it.

Lil Bo Peep.

2008-11-13T14:22:00.000-08:00

I is forever trying to guide her little sister in the proper direction. While A, on the other hand, is just getting big enough to let her sister know that she has the right to choose which direction she wishes to take.

Hence... the sister screech fest. This is how it goes:

I: A let's play dress ups.

A: (moves towards doll house)

I: You can be the fireman. (places fireman hat on A as she walks past)

A: babeee. (throws hat on ground- sits down at doll house)

I: dress-up is so much fun.

A: babeee. (puts baby in her mouth)

I: Come on A (walks over and puts pink boa in A's face)

A: Screech!

I: Screech! A! (walks away)

A: (places baby doll back in mouth)

So begins a 'Personal Space' talk with big sister while mommy is decorated in fireman hat and boa. The best is when the big girl gently tries to guide A to the destination of her choosing by walking along side and shepherding her in one direction. It reminds me of little bo peep guiding her sheep in the right direction. Wouldn't it be great if I made them outfits like these made by Grosgrain to wear around the house?

So Much Fun.

I'm sure it's only a matter of time before big sister grows out of her Bo Peep Stage and the little one becomes less egoistic. Actually, just today the sister princesses had a party at their palace. (ok. so it was borderline cinderella. The little sister had to set the table while the big sister ate cookies and drank tea) but, it was fun sister play anyway.

I am so blessed to be the mommy that gets to watch these two girls play together, laugh together, explore together, and grow together.

(Out of the) House Dresses

2008-11-06T14:49:00.000-08:00

OK.

so when I saw a perfectly kept house coat for $3 at salvation army,
my itch for re-creating suddenly became unbearable.
I new I had to make it into something beautiful.
So, I cut all the best pieces and sewed them together.

Creating these beautiful house dresses for A and mommy:

Here's the original house coat.

A's dress was inspired by the Sugar City Pattern. All I added was thread and the two yellow buttons. The sleeves are taken straight from the house coat and hemmed shorter and slimmer.

I think the buttons on the top of my dress help to make it look more Dress-ish. Of course there is a barely noticeable zipper down the front. But, if I ever get pregnant again, i believe this will make the best nursing dress ever.

The house dress was so comfortable, that we actually decided to wear them out of the house today.

For the record:

The House Dress

also makes for a wonderful

Park Dress.

Fall Feather and Fan

2008-11-03T17:09:00.000-08:00

Since fall is on it's way out and the snow will be falling within days (uggh), I thought I had better show you this beauty of a hat that I knit a few weeks back.

I was blessed to be able to knit for, E- the cutest baby in the whole wide world.

She is sporting the Feather and Fan bonnet. Made from yarn left over from this sweater. This is my third feather and fan, and I loved knitting it. The pattern is simple and knits up fast. Plus, it stretches to fit and covers little ears. If this isn't enough to convince you to knit one of these little hats. I beg you to consider the following:

The Feather and Fan Bonnet is a wonderful hat of choice for...

... huggin' on a GoUrD.

yes, another one.

2008-11-02T10:29:00.000-08:00

why? you may ask, am I so obsessed with skirt dresses...

...because skirt dresses are so stinkin' easy to sew and easy on our budget as well. (Not to mention recreating the stuff that we have just seems to make sense.)

here's the original sz small skirt- from urban outfitters (I think.)

back of the dress.

Official Equation for skirt dress #3.

1 beautifully embroidered skirt

2 rockin green rickracky type straps

2 little pink buttons

+ 1 cute kid

___________________________

= skirt dress # 3

(see here for a more detailed equation)

There is one thing this skirt to dress has that the previous did not...

It is the perfect

dress for

couch jumping.

Handmade Halloween

2008-11-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

We had our annual family halloween party tonight. The highlights were: Daddy Mac's Jungle Safari, John & Kate plus 8, and a painter/paint brush and little paint pallet. We decided to have a homemade halloween this year. Which means we made everything (well almost everything- we did buy the light saber)

The force is strong with this one...

(Yoda hat knit with this pattern and smock re-created from R's old shirt)

These are not the droids you're looking for...

(r2d2 shirt re-created from old t-shirt by R and hat knit by me)

Help me Obi won Kenobi, You're my only hope...

(boots formerly bought from Goodwill, all else from closet)

If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine...

(robe re-created from bed sheet, light saber from k-mart $6)

Happy Halloween... May the Force be with you.

Going on a Pumpkin Hunt...

2008-10-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

We went on a hunt for the perfect pumpkins this week. Typically we get pumpkins earlier in October, but last week the girls were both itchy and red and splotchy with some sort of rash that delayed any outings. Big sis got it first and then inevitably, the little sis got it as well. They are feeling better now, just in time for some Halloween Fun.

It was fun going to the patch the week before Halloween. There were plenty of pumpkins left, and not as many people. Not to mention the discounted cider, donuts and free range eggs.

The animals were A's favorite. Pigs, Chickens, and goats.

We named this rooster, REd. because of his beautiful colors...

Big sis has been anticipating the first snow for weeks now. She was all excitement when the flakes started to fall.

We dissected the pumpkin to explore the insides. Then I drew a face on it and I carved it out.

She asked if she could put spots on her pumpkin.

I didn't realize until later that her pumpkin had actually aquired the same rash that she and her sister had.

I guess what goes around comes around. I just hope he doesn't spread it to any of his pumpkin siblings.

Fall Skirt to Dress

2008-10-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's another skirt to dress...

The skirt used to be about calf length and kind of country looking for my taste. But the fabric makes a spelendid little dress. Especially with the fall color scheme.

The front is actually kind of ribbed.

And the length is perfect for twirling.

Toadstool Set

2008-10-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of the Toadstool set that I gifted to a friend for her baby to be...

I actually had the parents pick out the pattern for the sweater from my queue on Ravelry.

I chose yellow since this baby could be a boy or girl.

I'm still working on my embroidery skills.

I tried to stagger the shrooms for a little whimsey.

This toadstool rattle has a cat toy in it for the jingling.

I and I visited Pet Smart to pick out the toy that made the nicest and baby-est sound.

Skirt to Dress in 10 minutes flat.

2008-10-17T21:26:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that a $5 clearance skirt could be re-created into such a beautiful dress? And in no time at all. it took literally 10 mintues. I just took in the side seams about an inch and added the lovely straps. Here's the official recipe...

1. take 1 xs skirt from forever 21.

2. add 3/4 yard woven edging for straps.

3. pin and cut to fit. ( keeping the zipper/closure when possible.)

4. Sew...

5. Enjoy!

(box not included)

The Leaves on the Trees Keep on Falling

2008-10-14T17:17:00.000-07:00

We have a fall tradition...

Every fall we go on a leaf hunt and collect leaves from the woods near our house. We bring them home and enjoy fall all winter by framing them in our dining room. Here are some pictures of our annual leaf hunt...

big sis enjoys the fall foliage.

lil sis enjoys the fall foliage.

R's favorite.

My favorite.

Family. Fun. Fall.

Second hand land

2008-10-07T18:14:00.000-07:00

I was able to sneak away on my lunch break today to spend a half an hour second hand shopping.

Boy did I hit the jackpot.

Cute fall inspired mugs- perfect for spiced cider.

A darling apron and vintage corning wear dish.

Two perfectly kept serving dishes.

(yes I know they resemble bed pans from this angle... but they really are very beautiful.)

And yet another set of salt and pepper shakers.

I have these salt and pepper shakers to thank for my shopping success. They were actually what I was shopping for in the first place. I plan on using them as miniature vases for some dried flowers.

In addition to these splendid finds for our home, I came across these leather boots.At five dollars I could not turn them down (I'm a sucker for shoes).

Yes, this shopping trip was definitely worth skipping my daily salad and muffin. (Later in the day when I felt my blood sugar dip... I just envisioned my new boots and felt newly rejuvenated.)

What a successful lunch break!

busyness

2008-10-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

We were quite busy this past weekend.

We painted the living room, dining room and kitchen this rich cocoa color.

I knit a new hat for the little sister.

And we closed up the garden for the winter.

I was also able to work on printing some ts for the girls.

Now to accessorize the new paint job...

Dance like the wind

2008-10-02T18:08:00.000-07:00

It rained today. So we had another dance party. We used these ribbons that were purchased for a dollar a pack from Target.

We tied the festive ribbons to our fingers for streamers.

Then we danced like the wind.

We ran around the room and let the streamers trail behind us. We held our hands up high and then brought them down fast to the ground to watch the streamers drop. We danced in circles, and held our arms out to make our streamers fly. At one point my big girl dropped to the floor in dizziness and told me that our walls were moving.

Then she got back up and danced some more. It was pure joy.

First of Autumn Knitting

2008-09-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

Something about Fall makes me want to knit like crazy. This summer I completed maybe a total of three knitting projects. I think the cooler weather and changing colors are my motivation for picking up the needles again. I knit this for my big girl using the Debbie Bliss baby jacket pattern. This is a free pattern that I snuck from my sister, whose knitting talents are far superior to my own. I chose to use a solid color for the ribbing and to make a size smaller for the cropped sleeves and length.

I wish I had a better picture of this sweater, but the big girl was very busy today and couldn't be troubled to stop for a photo. Here's a somewhat blurry closer up look at the front.

Dollhouse Frock GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

2008-09-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

I just signed up for the Dollhouse Frock GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

For those of you who haven't checked out grosgrain- this woman is a very talented sewer (and apparently a talented doll house designer as well.) I hope I win!!!

Piggy tails

2008-09-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

Our little A wore piggy tails for the first time today!

This is a day we've looked forward to for the past 4 months.

Her hair has been in a bit of an awkward stage. For the last few weeks she had hair that resembled something similar to a mullet in back and a "little critter" cut in front. (remember little critter cartoons?)

Although she is amazingly beautiful no matter her hair,

something about "little critter" just doesn't suit a girl.

This on the other hand is very becoming...

She was exceedingly pleased with her piggies.

She plans on wearing them often in the future.

sleeping on pins and needles

2008-09-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

We are hosting a couples shower tonight for some folks that attend our church.

Which means that last night we cleaned the house.

The task seemed relatively easy until I walked into the guest room and looked around. I was reminded of last week when I asked little I to clean up her dress-ups and she asked me why.

To which I thoughtlessly answered,

"Because we need to keep this room clean so that your things don't get ruined."

To which she replied,

"What about the things in your room mommy?

I spent about an hour and now it looks like this again.

I even organized my sewing desk. (yeah- this is as organized as it gets) The happy thing about my sewing desk is that it is located in a large guestroom closet, which means I can close the door if it gets too obnoxious.

Although, if you ever decide to come for a visit, you must remember not to pack an extensive wardrobe. My sewing machine is like part of the family- it can't be put off by out of town guests.

chicken legs

2008-09-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

It has been decided that the black and white dress worn by little sister on Sunday is a better fit for the big girl. I had to mend it from it being tripped over so many times. So a new (smaller) dress is in the works. The baby girl was nice enough to to give this one to her older sister. Would that be called a hand-me-up?

And yes, those tights were dragged out of storage. I dyed them two years ago for a Halloween costume.

Speaking of Halloween, I'm getting anxious for our annual costume party. Last year everyone dressed up in theme. Highlights included: a tiger and her parents Siegfried an Roy, and a little pumpkin and her mad pumpkin scientist parents. Our family went as the cast of Charlotte's web. I'd give anything to see the husband dressed as Templeton the rat again. hehe.. just thinking about it makes me smile.